Wire coiling apparatus



Aug. 12, 1958 J. E. KEESEE WIRE COILING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 21, 1955 am BY INVENTOR. a 66460,

ATTORNEYJ.

WIRE COILING APPARATUS .James E. Keesee, Jacksonville, Fla., assignor to Mid- States Steel 8; Wire Company, Jacksonville, Fla., a corporationof Indiana Application February 21, 1955, Serial No. 489,406

8 Claims. (Cl. 24282) This invention relates to a wire coiling apparatus ,and more particularly to apparatus fonpullingwire from a galvanizing stand, a wire drawing machine or the like,-and

forming the wire into coils.

.It has been the commercial practice for many years ,to 7121111 the-wire from agalvanizing stand, a wiredrawing .rnachineor the like onto a rotating block on .which the vwire is accumulated. The capacity of such blocks .llavev determined the maximum size bundle of coils which can be formed and has necessitated. either stopping. of the machine to remove the accumulatedwire or removalof thevwire from the block while it is rotating. Stopping of the machine not only results illlOSS of time, but may result in spoiling the wire as occurs in va galvanizing stand. Removing the .wire while the block .isrotating has commonly been practiced in. galvanizing .standsbutis .an extremely difficultand dangerous operation.

Coiling machines in which-the blockis stationaryhave been proposed with theadvantage thatthe wire-may be removed easily from the block in an y desired quantity withoutthenecessity of stopping themachine. Such machines have, however, been complicated in the necessary provisions for holding the block stationary and for guiding the wire onto and away from the block.

It is one .of the objects of the present invention to provide a wire coiling apparatus in which the block is "held stationaryby ankextremely simple and inexpensive means which serves also to guide the wire away from the; block.

According to one feature of the invention, wire coils pass from the block onto an elongated guiderod extending forward and laterally from the block and which may engage a wirereceiving means at-its outerend tohold the block against rotation.

Another object is to provide an apparatus in which WiI'G is guided onto the block by anharmextending radially from the rotating shaft through'which the wire is threaded and which carries a plurality of pulleys at its outer end to direct the wire over the edge of and onto the block.

According to one feature, thepulleys lie in a plane transverse and radial with respect tothe shaft to re- -move any preset in the wire and to givethe wire a set tending to make it lie on the block.

A further object is to provide an apparatus in which an adequate number of coils of wire are'retained on the block to insure pulling through of the wire without slipping.

In the preferred construction, a number -of coils are "loosely supported on rods extending from the smaller end of the block with an adjustable lever on the top rod to retard movement of the coils from the block to the rods and with the rod opposite to theguide rod longer than the others to restrict movement of the coils oil of the rods onto the guide rod.

The above and other objects and features of the-invention will be more readily apparent from the following 2,847,171 Ratented Aug. 12, 1958 v2 description when read in connection :with the accordpanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a wire coiling :ap-

.paratus embodying; the invention;

formed into bundles or packages of ,any; desired .;si;z e ;for

shipment and handling. As shown, the apparatus ,pf

the P e invention campuse s and.p .c fram wla uppo e g t h s y t .q nn qteda th a rper endsbvpil b c .t suppo te hQ1l E hflJ ,for rotationabout a horizontal axis. The shaft lz projects beyond the frame-or stand :10 -at one end to parry a conventionaltapered block 13 formed.atitslargenend ith an u wa ly xt di zt per d l ng 1&- h block 13 is detachably supported on the projeeting end of the-shaft lZ bymeans ofbearings.15 so; that the block is freely rotatable relativeto theshaft.

The shaft is adapted to be turned .by any suitable power means such as anelectric motor .16 ;suppor.t ed. on

the frame. Thernotor'maydrive theshaft throughe belt 17, an intermediate pulley ,and .sproclretshaft assemblylS anda sprocket 19. The,belt andspliqckct in seri s p ovid the de iredepeed r duc i rom th motor tothe shaftso that the shaft will be turned ,at .the correct operating speed.

The wire to hecoiled as shown atll extendsinto the end o the sh a d r diallrpu w rd ht us op 22 i th sid f the .sh fta th pt ie t hsen portion thereof.

The wire extending through the opening Z2 may be guided by. a guide pulley 23 which extends partially into theopeningZZ to receive the wire ,a nd direct it radially outward of the shaft.

The wire is adapted to be guided and wonnd gniio the block by means ofv a rotating guiding str l t recomprising anarm 2.4 rigidly secured to the pro e ingend portion of the shaft. .The armis preferably formed in two parts with an angular outer or extensionsectip gs adjustably secured thereto so that theradial effective length of the arm can easily be ,a'gljusted io accornmodate differentsized blocks. "The arm section ;25 t erminates .in a lateral flange 26' which carries a pulley support 27 extending diagonally .across theedge of tl e flange .14 on the block. The pulley support 27 carries alignment with the pulley 2 3 to receive t he WlIZEiK QIIH the pulley 23. The pulley "Q1"haslitsouter ed ge in a plane parallel to the flange 14 and'inradial alignment with the sideof the flange 14 adjacent tothebloc k and preferably close to the juncture of the [flange andghe bloclcso that the wire willbe properly wound on the block as the arm rotates.

According to one feature ofthe invention, the wire is threaded over the pulleys 28,29 and 31 in s uc h a manner that any existing preset in the wire will be removed and the .wire will be given apreset tending -to make it lie properlyon the block. .'For this purpose the wire is preferably threaded over the pulley Zfiunder the pulley :29 and. over the pulley31. Bending of the wire as it passes over the pulleys successively will rcmove any preset therein and since the wiregleavesjthe pulley assembly from the pulley 31 whichtends tojbend it in the same direction as the block curvature as will be apparent from Figure 1 the wire will tend to lie correctly on the block. Thus in addition to the function of guiding the wire, the pulleys 28, 29 and 31 serve the purpose of prebending the wire to facilitate its coiling on the block.

Wire wound on the block will be pushed along toward the smaller end thereof by the effect of the block taper and the flange 14 to eventually move off of the smaller end of the block. Since it is necessary to retain several coils of wire on the block to avoid slipping of the Wire, the block preferably carries a series of forwardly extending rods 32 which will receive the wire as it passes from the forward smaller end of the block. To restrict passage of the coils from the block proper onto the rods 32, the uppermost rod 32 as seen in Figures 1 and 3 may carry a pivoted lever 33 which can be adjusted to extend upwardly above the surface of the upper rod and which will tend to hold the coils on the block itself. By adjustment of the lever 33 to accommodate different sizes and types of wire the proper number of coils can be retained on the block at all times to insure that there will be no slippage of the wire thereon.

Wire leaving the rods 32 is received and guided by an elongated guide rod 34 having a first section 35 which projects forward from the block near the top thereof, an intermediate section 36 which extends laterally and downwardly away from the block and a tip section 37 which extends downward at a relatively sharp angle from the intermediate section 36 and which may carry a short supporting section 38 projecting vertically downward near its outer end. In use, the supporting section 38 is adapted to be received by a wire receiving member or a part thereof such as a vertical rod 39 extending through the center of a container 41 to hold the outer end of the guide rod against downward movement. With the arm 24 turning clockwise as seen in Figure 1, the strain on the wire tends to turn the block clockwise and this tends to move the outer end of the guide rod downward which is prevented by the supporting member 39. Thus the guide rod serves the dual purposes of guiding the wire coils properly away from the block and to a desired point of collection and of preventing rotation of the block. It will be apparent that coils of wire dropping from the end of the tip section 37 of the guide rod will be received in the container 41 or may be collected on any desired type of stump for further handling.

To prevent the coils of wire from passing too quickly from the rods 32 onto the guide rod 34, the rod 32 lying on the side of the block opposite to the direction in which the guide rod 34 extends is made longer than the other rods 32 as indicated at 32. Thus the coils after dropping from the other shorter rods 32 onto the guide rod will still be retained against slipping down the guide rod by the longer rod 32' so that the weight or momentum of the coils cannot strip the block. This feature coupled with the adjustable lever 33 makes it readily possible to maintain the desired movement of coils of wire on the block at all times.

In use, the wire may be under relatively high tension and as the arm 24 is rotated by the shaft 12 the wire will be wound around the block against the flange 14 to press the preceding coils or turns forward on the block and to draw the wire through the shaft 12 over the guide pulleys. The guide pulleys will straighten and give the wire a prebend so that it will lie on the block easily with no tendency to coil away from the block or to snarl. As the outer coils are pushed from the end of the block they will be held momentarily by the rods 32 and eventually will drop onto the guide rod 34 to be guided to a collecting point. When the desired quantity of wire has been accumulated at the collecting point, the wire may be cut and the receptacle may be easily removed simply by raising the outer end of the guide rod 34 without stopping operation of the machine. When a new receptacle is in place, the wire may be collected therein until that receptacle is filled.

In the event coils of different sizes are desired, the block 13 may be replaced easily by a block of a different size. Since the block is supported only by the projecting end of the shaft 12 it can be removed very easily and quickly from the shaft to be replaced by any other desired size of block. The only other adjustment necessary is to adjust the arm section 25 radially on the arm 4 so that the pulleys 23, 29 and 31 will extend properly across the flange of the block relatively close to the periphery thereof.

While one embodiment of the invention has been shown and described in detail, it will be understood that this is for the purpose of illustration only and is not to be taken as a definition of the scope of the invention reference being had for this purpose to the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. Wire coiling apparatus comprising a tapered block on which wire is to be coiled having a flange at its larger end, a hollow rotatable shaft coaxial with the block and extending from the larger end of the block, a radially extending arm carried by the shaft adjacent to the block, an angular extension on the outer end of the arm extending across the flange on the block, a plurality of pulleys carried by the extension lying in a plane transverse to and extending radially from the shaft, one of the pulleys having one side lying in a radial line from the shaft and a second of the pulleys having an edge lying in a plane parallel to the flange and on the side thereof adjacent to the block, a guide pulley carried by the shaft to guide a wire extending through the shaft radially outward therefrom onto said one of the pulleys, means to rotate the shaft, and means to hold the block against rotation.

2. The construction of claim 1 in which there are three pulleys carried by the extension and the wire is threaded over the two end pulleys and under the center pulley.

3. Wire coiling apparatus comprising a tapered block on which wire is to be coiled having a flange at its larger end, a hollow rotatable shaft coaxial with the block and extending from the larger end of the block, a radially extending arm carried by the shaft adjacent to the block, an angular extension on the outer end of the arm extending across the flange on the block, a plurality of pulleys carried by the extension lying in a plane transverse to and extending radially from the shaft, one of the pulleys having one side lying in a radial line from the shaft and a second of the pulleys having an edge lying in a plane parallel to the flange and on the side thereof adjacent to the block, a guide pulley carried by the shaft to guide a wire extending through the shaft radially outward therefrom onto said one of the pulleys, means to rotate the shaft, a wire guiding rod extending forward and laterally from the smaller end of the block to receive coils of wire from the block and guide them to a collecting point, and means engaging the outer end of the rod to hold it against vertical movement thereby to hold the block against rotation.

4. Wire coiling apparatus comprising a tapered block on which Wire is to be coiled having a flange at its larger end, a hollow rotatable shaft coaxial with the block and extending from the larger end of the block, a radially extending arm carried by the shaft adjacent to the block, an angular extension on the outer end of the arm extending across the flange on the block, a plurality of pulleys carried by the extension lying in a plane transverse to and extending radially from the shaft, one of the pulleys having one side lying in a radial line from the shaft and a second of the pulleys having an edge lying in a plane parallel to the flange and on the side thereof adjacent to the block, a guide pulley carried by the shaft to guide a wire extending through the shaft radially outward therefrom onto said one of the pulleys, means to rotate the shaft, a wire guiding rod extending forward and laterally from the smaller end of the block to receive coils of wire from the block and guide them to a collecting point, and an upright wire collecting device including a part engaging the outer end of the guiding rod to hold it against downward movement thereby to hold the block against rotation.

5. Wire coiling apparatus comprising a horizontal hollow rotatable shaft, a frame supporting the shaft for rotation, a tapered block rotatably mounted on one end of the shaft with its larger end. toward the shaft and having a flange at its larger end, an arm extending radially from the shaft adjacent to the block, an angular extension at the outer end of the arm extending across the flange, a plurality of pulleys carried by the extension lying in a plane transverse to and extending radially from the shaft, one of the pulleys having one side lying in a radial line from the shaft and a second of the pulleys having an edge lying in a plane parallel to the flange and on the side thereof adjacent to the block, a guide pulley carried by the shaft to guide a wire extending therethrough radially outward therefrom onto said one of the pulleys, means to rotate the shaft, an elongated wire guiding rod projecting forwardly and laterally from the smaller end of the block, and means engaging the outer end of the guiding rod to hold it against vertical movement.

6. Wire coiling apparatus comprising a hollow rotatable shaft having a lateral opening near one end through which a wire may extend, a tapered block having a flange at its larger end, means mounting the block for free r'otation with its larger flanged end adjacent to said one end of the shaft, guide means carried by the shaft to direct wire extending from the shaft over the flange on the block to coil the wire on the block as the shaft turns relative to the block, an elongated guide rod extending forwardly and laterally from the smaller end of the block to receive coils of wire from the block and means engaging the end of the guide rod to hold it against vertical movement thereby to hold the block against rotation.

7. Wire coiling apparatus comprising a hollow rotatable shaft having a lateral opening near one end through which a wire may extend, a tapered block having a flange at its larger end, means mounting the block for free rotation with its larger flanged end adjacent to said one end of the shaft, guide means carried by the shaft to direct Wire extending from the shaft over the flange on the block to coil the wire on the block as the shaft turns relative to the block, a plurality of short rods extending outward from the smaller end of the block and spaced around the periphery thereof loosely to hold a series of coils on the block, and an adjustable lever carried by the uppermost of the rods to engage the outermost coil on the block and restrict passage of the coils from the block onto the rods.

8. Wire coiling apparatus comprising a hollow rotatable shaft having a lateral opening near one end through which a wire may extend, a tapered block having a flange at its larger end, means mounting the block for free ro tation with its larger flanged end adjacent to said one end of the shaft, guide means carried by the shaft to direct wire extending from the shaft over the flange on the block to coil the wire on the block as the shaft turns relative to the block, a plurality of short rods extending outward from the smaller end of the block and spaced around the periphery thereof loosely to hold a series of coils on the block, and a guide rod extending laterally from the smaller end of the block to receive coils from the rods and direct them laterally away from the block, the rod at the side of the block opposite to that of the guide rod being longer than the other rods to retain the coils longer on the rods without tangling thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

